14
Mar

Tweet Rumors Sting CNN

CNN’s coverage of the Japanese tragedy prompted angry tweets after some viewers claimed an anchor made an on-air Godzilla joke and laughed during reporting, writes Chris Taylor on Mashable.

But did it actually happen? It was a surprisingly convoluted event, but here’s the premise: Anchor Rosemary Church interviewed an American quake eyewitness who, describing video footage, said “these waves of debris, it is almost like a monster movie.” Tweets almost immediately started to circulate from a variety of sources. One that was widely retweeted read: “You might prefer streaming Al-Jazeera to watching CNN anchor giggle about Godzilla.”

The anchor (nor her guest) never made a Godzilla joke. To be sure, there were other criticisms leveled against the anchor, including that —even without the alleged joke—her demeanor was perhaps too jovial for the subject matter.

Regardless of whether her on-air behavior was appropriate, for brands the lessons are clear: